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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · scale · chest · bass · lean · trunk · root · band

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — the fish
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. band — a music group
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. chest — a box
  20. root — of a word
  21. lean — thin
  22. mug — to rob
  23. root — the cause
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com